Last Updated on 10 months ago by Charbel Coorey
Cricket News: 5 things India must do to beat South Africa | 5 things India need to do to win their first ever Test series in South Africa
The Indian Test team scaled several heights in the past few years, including a fantastic performance on English soil in 2021 and successive series victories in Australia.
They had a disappointing tour to New Zealand in 2020, but have previously emerged victorious over there. It’s only South Africa that India has fallen short of conquering so far, despite coming ever so close in both 2010/11 and 2017/18.
Now, the Virat Kohli-led side has headed to take on the Proteas with a wonderful chance of doing something that no Indian Test team has done earlier. Let us elaborate on five things that the team might have to do in order to script history in the coming month.
How India can beat South Africa this time around
1. Maintain consistency in playing XI
India has went for a horses-for-courses approach in recent times, altering their playing XI according to the circumstances and challenges in hand. The method has arguably delivered mixed results and there have been adverse reactions to the same depending upon the result.
Neither the approach from the side has been consistent with regards to this factor nor have the masses reacted fairly to it every time. The better way to deal with it might be to maintain some sort of stability in terms to the choices made in the playing XI. It will be quite difficult for the players to adapt to the circumstances straightaway and they need to be backed adequately to derive the required results from them.
2. Beware of South Africa’s new guns
South Africa has perhaps historically never lacked profound cricketing talents over the years.
Though they have not really gelled well as one would have liked in recent times, individually most of the players do seem to have a very high career ceiling. Marco Jansen’s has pace to burn from a 6 foot 8 inch frame, Duanne Olivier has returned back to be a formidable bowler from his county spell whereas Beuran Hendricks brings the left-arm angle to the mix in addition to the proven talents of Kagiso Rabada and Lungi Ngidi.
In the absence of the batting bigwigs, Aiden Markram, Keegan Peterson and Rassie van der Dussen will be looking to make the most of the series whereas Dean Elgar will be a tough nut to crack especially whilst donning the captain’s hat. Needless to say, play down the home side’s abilities at your own peril!
3. Go with an extra batter
In recent times, India has preferred to play Ravindra Jadeja at number six and go with four specialist bowlers from number eight onwards. This allowed the side to play the spin duo of Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin along with three frontline pacers. However, in South Africa, the team could very well do with the cushion of playing an extra batsman.
The conditions over there are hostile for batsmen and the side will perhaps prefer the assurance of some additional runs on the scorecard. Moreover, India now has a top-tier bowling attack that can almost guarantee taking 20 wickets in any given situation. Rather than opting for all-rounders who offer something in all departments, the need of the hour might be to trust the specialists in the unit, keeping the playing XI balance into consideration.
4. Take up more responsibility amongst the batsmen
The Indian bowlers have been majorly responsible for the team’s terrific dominance overseas in recent times. However, they seem to be taking the limelight away from an equally prolific batting unit in recent times. While either situation augurs well for the overall fate of Indian cricket, the management will be hoping for the batsmen to step up to the challenge and be at their level best in the series against the Proteas.
The core of the batting order has performed well in South Africa previously, whereas the younger crop has it in them to make a mark this time around. If the team manages to strike the right balance straightaway, it will be up on the batsmen to tackle the challenges appropriately and give the bowling unit enough to play with. Whether that happens or not, might end up playing a major role in the eventual outcome of this contest.
5. Exploit the opening when you crack them
Openings that can be exploited don’t come across often in such difficult contests. After knocking the door continuously, an opportunity presents itself merely once or twice throughout a match and it is upon the team in question to optimise that situation completely.
In the past, the Indian team perhaps used to let go of such chances more than they would have wanted to, which included the failure to clean up the opposition’s tail-end and not putting up a frail fight with the willow after the chips went down. But, that mentality has changed in recent times.
India is arguably more ruthless with the ball against the opposition’s tail-enders and Kohli’s own bowlers have shown tremendous character and talent with the bat in the recent tours of Australia and England. South Africa will maybe put the biggest batting challenge in front of them and they will have to be properly prepared to take it down, time and again.
Written by Tarkesh Jha. Follow Tarkesh on Twitter
